This book is the result of twenty years of teaching chess to students of all ages, distilling practical lessons from a lifetime of experience into one accessible guide. It emphasizes that chess is a game of endless learning, where no player—not even world champions like Magnus Carlsen—can ever “know everything.”
A central theme of the book is the importance of study, growth, and humility, highlighting the difference between casual players and serious students of the game. Drawing inspiration from Tigran Petrosian’s belief that true appreciation of chess comes through study, the author underlines the value of deep understanding over surface knowledge.
At its core, the book focuses on mistakes and blunders—the true deciding factor in most games. And where better to start than with the classical 1.e4 e5!
In Volume 1 we covered the most frequently played lines after 1.e4 e5!
From beginners to grandmasters, every player makes errors. What separates strong players from the rest is not perfection, but the ability to recognize, punish, and learn from mistakes, ensuring they never lose the same way twice. Through practical examples, including games by top-level players like Alex Stripunsky, the book explores these universal lessons and shows how improvement begins with understanding failure.
This book is a tribute to Aron Nimzovich, one of the most influential figures in chess history and a true pioneer of positional and hypermodern chess. His revolutionary ideas transformed the understanding of strategy, introducing timeless concepts such as blockade, overprotection, prophylaxis, and the principle of two weaknesses.
Nimzovich challenged the rigid classical doctrines of his era, building upon the foundations of Wilhelm Steinitz while opposing the dogmatic views of Siegbert Tarrasch. His contributions shaped modern chess theory and remain essential for players seeking true positional understanding.
Through 64 carefully annotated games, this book explores the practical application of Nimzovich’s ideas across five core themes: Center, Strategic Concepts, Maneuvering, Constriction, and Blockade. Rather than presenting only flawless masterpieces, the book reveals the real struggles, imperfections, and brilliance of a player who created the principles we study today.
The author’s central message is clear: chess improvement is not about memorizing moves, but about learning to understand the game. And for that journey, there is no greater guide than Aron Nimzovitch.
This exercise book is the result of many years of work as a chess coach. The positions are drawn from original training materials developed for my private students, giving me valuable insight into the ideas players typically consider and the difficulties they most often encounter. This practical experience is reflected throughout the explanations and solutions.
The book is designed to help advanced players improve both their calculation skills and their strategic understanding. Beyond solving individual positions, readers are encouraged to extract broader lessons and improve their overall thinking process. While the exercises cover a wide range of themes, one principle appears again and again: in chess, active and energetic play is often rewarded above all else.
The book is essential reading for every ambitious chess player.
An effective approach to opening improvement should focus on understanding the logic behind each move, the relationship between moves, and the ability to adapt to different setups without becoming trapped in a theoretical straitjacket. There is little value in memorizing twenty moves of theory if, once your preparation ends, you are left without a clear plan.
Real improvement comes from recognizing strategic patterns, mastering typical pawn structures, and understanding the middlegame positions that arise from your chosen openings. This means studying model games, analyzing key transitions from opening to middlegame, and developing training habits that prioritize understanding over the mere accumulation of variations.
Only through such an approach can you build a reliable opening repertoire—one founded not on the fragile thread of memory, but on the enduring strength of genuine chess understanding.
Yet, when working on our openings, how often do we stop to consider the sustainability of our progress? How frequently do we think about the transfer of knowledge between different phases of study, the practical integration of computer-assisted analysis, or the simple reality that chess learning remains a fundamentally human process, regardless of how many databases, engines, and training modules continue to emerge?
This book seeks to answer those questions. Its goal is not merely to help you learn openings, but to help you understand them, retain them, and apply them successfully in practical play.
“Compared with the other books in this series, substantially more space is given to the analysis of the opening problems that confront a player in a particular game. The first half of the book is altogether devoted to opening preparation (although, as you will see, not only to this), and also in the second half nearly every game is accompanied by detailed opening information.
The main attraction of chess is its thematic content. I hope that this book, like the preceding ones, will provide a guide for you through the rich and diverse world of chess ideas, will help you to perceive the depth and beauty of schemes generated at the board, in tournament or match play, to disclose the causes of mistakes and to be aware of the hidden forces that determine the plans of chess encounters. As a result you will significantly improve your understanding of chess, and your practical playing strength will rise.”
— MARK DVORETSKY
This third volume in Mark Dvoretsky’s course is devoted to questions of strategy, and is aimed at improving the reader’s positional understanding. The author also examines a number of positions that lie on the boundary between the middlegame and endgame.
As in the other books of the series, he uses examples from his own games and those of his pupils, together with original analyses of episodes from other player’s games.
The initial part of this book deals with combinations and tactical techniques, and suggests methods for developing a player’s calculating ability.
In the second part the author analyses a number of fascinating examples, in which he examines a wide variety of attacking and defensive means. Once again, the reader is encouraged to developing his understanding by tackling numerous tests. Join in and become one of Mark Dvoretsky’s pupils!
Mark Dvoretsky is regarded as the leading chess coach in the world, and in this series of books he reveals the training methods that have transformed so many of his pupils into champions.
This first title is devoted to the endgame and examines a wide range of positions, taken mainly from games of the author’s pupils. The comments are packed with practical advice and special test positions and frequent questions ensure that the reader’s participation in the book is an active one.
IM Donaldson examines Fischers life and career from his days as a child prodigy through the height of his World Championship triumph and into his tumultuous final years. Donaldsons meticulous research has uncovered previously lost games and a wealth of unknown material about Fischer -- ranging from his close friendships with players and supporters to his acrimonious relationships with organisers, journalists, lawyers, and publishers. Bobby Fischer and His World is brought to life through a potpourri of first-hand accounts, interviews, letters, and articles by and about the colourful characters that inhabited Fischers world. Unifying this wide-ranging tale are over 100 photos and illustrations and 99 newly annotated games. This is the story of Fischer the man and the player, shedding new light on the riddle of the most famous chessplayer in history. International Master John Donaldson is a player, a chess journalist and historian, and a thirteen-time United States World Chess Olympiad coach (his 2016 team won gold).
Available via subscription
All the regular features of the UK's best-selling CHESS magazine and more! Regular features include: How Good is Your Chess? by GM Daniel King, Saunders on Chess, Find the Winning Moves, Never Mind the Grandmasters..., Studies, Home & Overseas News, Forthcoming Events Calendar and Book Reviews.
In this issue:
Editorial
Malcolm Pein on the latest developments in the game
A Clean Sweep, and a Close Shave!
Andrew Ledger reports from an exciting final weekend of the 4NCL season
60 Seconds with... Axel Smith
The Swedish GM gave a huge blindfold simul and has a new book out
Small Margins
Paul Littlewood reports from the World Senior Team Chess Championships
The Comeback
Carlsen won his final three games then the playoff in Malmo
The Brightest Star?
Carl Strugnell on the specialness of 14-year-old Turkish superstar Yagiz Kaan
Forthcoming Events
Will you be playing at Crewe, Edinburgh, the MindSports Centre or elsewhere?
Studies with Stephenson
Brian pays tribute to the composing giant that is Harold van der Heijden
How Good is Your Chess?
Daniel King looks at how Rameshbabu Vaishali likes to play on the front foot
The Beauty in Chess
Jon Crumiller on Sir António Horta-Osório’s dazzling collection of chess sets
Find The Winning Moves
Can you do as well as the players at the final 4NCL weekend of the season?
Under the Hammer
John Henderson takes a look at the auction of Lothar Schmid’s collection
Chasing Dreams
Ben Graff thoroughly enjoyed being out and about at the Menorca Open
Menorca Masterclass
Daniel Fernandez explains how he outplayed the 2024 World Rapid Champion
Never Mind the Grandmasters
Carl Portman on his last round game at the UK Armed Forces Championships
How to Beat a Grandmaster
Paul Littlewood looks at an impressive game by a young Jon Speelman
Key Encounters
Some more of the best chess from the FIDE Candidates and the TePe Sigeman
Overseas News
Hans Niemann won the opening leg of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour in Poland
Home News
Popular weekenders took place in Belfast, Blackpool, Bournemouth and elsewhere
This Month’s New Releases
Sean Marsh enjoyed the return of Neil McDonald, with his new book on strategy
Saunders on Chess
John on Eugene Colman and his contribution to the Two Knights Defence
In Schach 4/2026 finden Sie Berichte über folgende Veranstaltungen/Themen:
* Vorschau Kandidatenturnier
* Umfrage Kandidatenturnier
* Schachfestival Prag, Schach960 in Weissenhaus
* Herren-Bundesliga, Frauen-Bundesliga
* Fragebogen: Ding Liren
* Kombinationsschule, Problemschach, Turnierausschreibungen, Rezension
* Mitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Luis Engel, Stefan Löffler, Peter Nielsen, Franz Pachl, Michael Prusikin
Winner of the 2015 Best Book Award of the Chess Journalists of America (CJA)
Shortlisted for the English Chess Federation 2015 Book of the Year Award
THIRD, EXTENDED EDITION
Pawn endings do not arise out of nowhere. Before emerging as endgames with just kings and pawns, they 'pre-existed' in positions that still contained any number of pieces.
Liquidation is the purposeful transition into a pawn ending. It is a vital technique that is seldom taught. Strange, because knowing when and how to liquidate can help you win games or save draws.
In this book, former US Chess Champion Joel Benjamin teaches you all you need to know about successfully liquidating into pawn endgames.
He focuses on the practical aspects: what to aim for and how to get there. When to start trading pieces and how to recognize favorable and unfavorable liquidations.
Enter a fascinating world of tempo play (triangulation, zugzwang and opposition), breakthroughs, king activity, passed pawn dynamics, sacrifices and counter-sacrifices.
Exercises will test your growing skills.
This is a ground-breaking, entertaining and instructive guide.
This New and Extended 3rd edition presents 50 new examples, besides other additions and corrections.
At thirteen years of age Joel Benjamin broke Bobby Fischer's record as the youngest ever US master, and this was followed by countless tournament successes. He won the US Championship three times and was the chess consultant for IBM's Deep Blue computer, which made history by beating World Champion Garry Kasparov in an epic encounter.
IM Frank Zeller, Magazine Schach:
"Benjamin has managed to create an excellent guide to a difficult theme that has been badly served in chess literature (..) If you are really serious about improving your chess, you should work on your Benjamin!"
Sean Marsh, CHESS Magazine (UK):
"Entertainment is never far away (..) The material, which feels very fresh, provides an impressive series of easily digestible lessons."
Schach Magazin 64:
"Strongly recommended (..) In transitions into pawn endgames a lot can be gained and a lot can be lost."
GM Daniel King, creator of the Power Play DVD series:
'Well written and thoroughly researched. The selected examples have a strong practical value (..) This is an instructive work for players at any level above beginner - but it's not a dry endgame manual. The games contain some beautiful ideas and overall I found the book very entertaining.
GM Matthew Sadler, former British Champion:
"The book works quite addictively (..) It's dealing with one of the big moments of uncertainty in practical chess."
IM Gary Lane, Chess Moves Magazine:
"A labour of love that has produced an outstanding book."
The Judges of the ECF Book of the Year Award:
"An attractive and entertaining book."
GM Daniel Naroditsky, Chess Life Magazine (US):
"Benjamin tackles one of the most important (and underappreciated) aspects of endgame practice."
GM Karsten Müller, author of 'Fundamental Chess Endings':
"An excellent new book. The theme of the right exchange is underrepresented in chess literature and Joel Benjamin manages to highlight its importance by investigating the transition into a pawn endgame in deep detail."
Uwe Bekemann, German Correspondence Chess Federation:
"Engages itself with a theme on which there is not a lot of literautre (..) It will doubtlessly enrich players with a new aspect of the art of playing chess."
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